Charred
by itsAce121
Summary: All Roxas wanted was some sleep, maybe make it to his morning classes on time, but it seemed his upstairs neighbour and him just weren't on the same page. In which leads to Roxas to run upstairs and complain about the excessivly loud playing of heavy metal.


At the moment Roxas really wasn't happy, he in fact had a headache. A headache in which his mind was being blown to smithereens by pounding heavy metal jackhammers. Now not that Roxas hated heavy metal. He just enjoyed it when it wasn't all clumsy slashing and screaming; Which he believed was his upstairs neighbors favourite kind of heavy metal. Especially at three o'clock in the morning on a weekday. Great.

Roxas really wasn't one to judge, but he was tried and had a class in five hours. So Roxas did what he would only expect any sane person to do. Stomp upstairs to the floor above him and rip the asshole's head off. He was only wearing baggy plaid pajama pants that hung off his hips and pooled over his feet. He ran up the stairs two at a time, with a small grunt he pushed open the fifth floor door. His feet pounded on the carpet as he stomped his way down the hall. He stopped in front of the door and glared hard, so full of bubbling rage he could have burned the wood door to ashes. Roxas decided instead to pound heavily with his fist.

"Open up this damn door!" He yelled pounding hard hoping that the resident inside could hear his anger over the blaring music. His fist was stopped short and instead made contact with a firm chest and a pained grunt from above. Roxas chose to look up taking in the tall form towering above him. His eyes made contact almost instantly with the acidic green ones, the left eye squinting a little from the pain. The man's hand was clutching his chest where'd the blondes fist had made contact.

"Thanks man," his voice was raspy, husky and laced thick with sarcasm.  
"That's just the thing I needed at three o'clock in the morning!" Axel halted though, his eyes going wide as he took in the small blond in front of him. The shorty was cute, with his honey blond hair and cerulean blue eyes, he was captivating, _beautiful_. Axel almost asked him if he was angel, but he decided against it.

Roxas was stunned, he didn't understand how someone so rude as to play music this early in the morning could be well so, _hot._ He felt warm and his hands were sweating now. The blond couldn't help it, taking in how _sizzling_ this guy was had made Roxas nervous. Swallowing the lump in his throat was the first step; Shifting his weight to make him seem less tense and more relaxed was the second. Coughing into his hand, Roxas thought of what to say next. Should he say sorry? No, it wasn't his fault this jerk didn't understand the use of volume but he should at least be polite. Just to seem nice and not overbearing…

"I-I was just coming up to ask you to turn down your music," Roxas looked up through his bangs, stuffing his hands in his pockets now realising maybe a shirt would have been a better choice of etrie instead of going in just pants….

"I can't turn it down, babe, Sorry about that." Axel smirked crossing his arms and shifted his weight to lean on the door frame.

Roxas' brow furrowed and his lips were turned into a frown, he was confused and angry. He had asked politely enough, The blond believed it was a simple enough request. Guess not. He rolled his eyes inwardly and breathed out a heavy sigh. Roxas raised his sharp eyes and made contact with green ones staring back. He could feel the cold sensation start at the top of his spine running a chilling quake in his bones.

"Why not?!" It came out whiney rather than angry, Roxas should work on making himself seem less like a three year old and more of an twenty year old adult…

The redhead chewed his words, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Axel simply reached out and grabbed the small blonde's wrist pulling him into the apartment. Explaining wasn't really as thrilling as _showing_.

"H-Hey! Wait let go!" In the blur of which was this psycho's apartment, he saw that it wasn't that much different from his own. The kitchen was to the right of the door and to the left was a small table for four, but what really made the difference between the two was that his neighbour had turned his living room into a studio. That whole side of the room was bright floor was covered with canvas, bits of paint and clay splattered across it creating a masterpiece of its own. Gasping Roxas stopped taking in the room around him, paintings were spread out all over the place. Sculptures stood tall, men and women alike spread out all over the "studio" there beauty rivaling that of the ancient michelangelo's giants.

Roxas' wrist was still being held tight and the music was just as loud. When he spoke it came out like a whisper, soft.

"You made these?" The redhead looked down to see the look of bliss on Roxas' face, taking over his features. He hadn't yet noticed there flaws. This as an artist was Axel's favourite part. Pure and positive people did not look at his art and see the flaws; They only saw the beauty. He ran over to his stereo to turn it down wanting to make conversation with the blue-eyed stranger. Seeing as he was captivated with his art made him even more interesting. Turning back to the blond now, that the music was to a better hearing level he smiled bright flashing teeth, trying to charm the fellow college student.

"Yeah...I'm a student over at TIOA, Twilight Institute of Art. Have been for two years now…" He scratched the back of his head before tugging Roxas forward again and bringing him over to a sculpture.

"See this," he pointed to the clay man standing above him not yet formed, not chiseled like the rest still smooth and soft.

"This is due tomorrow, in four hours actually and to mold this fine fellow into the man he needs to be, my music needs to be loud to kick all other distractions out" he flicked his hand outward making a gesture for his words. Roxas stopped, then turned in a circle to take in the room. After looking a little longer at every piece he noticed something they all had in common it was strange...Why do something like that to things that held such beauty? It was unique, Roxas thought but really unusual. Maybe the redhead did it to stand out from others? Still so weird…

"Hey," Roxas gestured to the room and the art surrounding them, Axel turned in acknowledgment it seemed the blonde was no longer interested in the volume of the artists music. Biting his lip Roxas spoke in question softly not trying to offend the redhead.

"Why are they all charred? Your paintings, sketches, sculptures….there all burnt."

He noticed...Axel smirked in thought, the blond had finally noticed his touch in the pieces, the burns.

"I mean not that i-it's not cool or anything... I think they're all amazing, but why?" Roxas' eyebrows drew up in confusion and curiosity.

Axel breathed out a sigh and rubbed his forehead smearing more clay across it along with sweat. He'd been deep in thought before the blond had shown up. Come to think of it, if Axel had only thirty more minutes he would have finished his sculpture…

"I like to think," he looked at Roxas from the corner of his eye, catching blue with sparkling green.

"That it adds a certain _flare_ or _spark_. Puts me into my artwork or else it'd just be plain. I wouldn't be in there with it you know?" he chuckled at his own puns.

Even Roxas' own mouth twitched upward in amusement as he nodded trying to resist the urge to laugh. But he couldn't hold it in anymore, he snorted chuckling into his hand. If Roxas were being honest, he would have confessed to loving dorky puns. After the fit had stopped Roxas smiled and extended his hand outward,

"I'm Roxas, your downstairs neighbour. You know the one you thought you should torture with Iron Maiden." Roxas smiled slightly it barely tugging at his lips, it was more to himself anyways. A soft pressure was wrapped around his hand and then the hand gripped softly in his shook it once, gently not trying to hurt the younger. Axel wanted to appeal him, not rip his arm out of its socket.

"The name's Axel, got it memorized?" Axel smirked wide, bringing his other hand up to tap his temple.

Roxas hummed and pulled his hand back, lingering a little in the red heads grip before shoving it in his pocket. Axel had almost set his skin a flame, he wasn't just hot appearance wise. Even he himself was scorching. The man's body temperature could probably break a thermometer. When he looked back up again he saw Axel was staring at him, and not just at his face. The older's eyes seemed to consume him, eating up every square inch of Roxas. From his warm blond hair, bright blue eyes, pink tinged cheeks, and full lips. The blonde squirmed under the hungry gaze.

This stranger had a hold on him, he wanted to touch, hold, and amongst other things... But there we're levels to this kind of thing, friendship was the first. Axel wasn't the kinda guy to just jump in and declare his love, hell he didn't even know Roxas' last name, what school he went to, or what he was passionate about. Which was obvious he definitely wasn't passionate about heavy metal...

"So Axel" the name rolled off his tongue like warm honey, he liked that name he could say it however he wanted and it'd still sound fucking _orgasmic_.

"Um...Since you've turned down the stereo and we both have class this morning I think i'm going to take my leave and let you resume your charred and wonderful sculpture." Roxas turned then with a two finger salute, waltzing his shirtless self out the apartment. He only made it to the door before Axel had stopped him, grabbing his arm and turning him to face the taller. Eyes going wide he noted the fact Axel's mouth was close to his ear and he could feel his breath on his neck. It hurts _a lot_ when you bite your tongue so hard to keep yourself from making some _really_ embarrassing noises, from just feeling someone else's mouth air on your neck.

"I hope to see you again, babe. Don't forget to call." Before pulling away Axel kissed Roxas on the cheek and winked. He turned and walked back the man's hip swaying just enough to make Roxas' cheeks burn. Axel smirked on his way back to his sculpture, his studio, his sanctuary. Leaving Roxas a little light headed, to somehow get back to his own apartment downstairs.

He could still feel his breath on his neck, his lips on his cheek. Pressing gently, they were soft like a velvet scarf caressing his skin. Blushing deeply now Roxas slide down his door putting his face in his hands. He had tell himself to breathe because his heart was bursting from his chest and hammering against his rib cage. Sighing Roxas stood up he needed sleep, some well deserved sleep to get his mind away from thoughts of a certain artist, with pyromaniac tendencies.

He shoved his hands on his pockets and slouched, feet carrying him towards his room. But he felt something in his pocket, like paper and he pulled it out squinting in the poor light to read what was written, it was a bunch of numbers. Or maybe a certain redheads number... Roxas was blushing again his head falling in his hand realising this is what the psycho had meant when he asked him to call him.

This guy was going to kill him, make him burst into a ball of flame, and explode across the sky painting the night in the bursting fireworks of his soul. If the redhead could burn his art and it still be beautiful maybe he could set Roxas off, make him beautiful too. Morph him into someone better, more himself, one of the redheads masterpieces. Roxas somehow knew this man was going to remake his world, make all the walls fall down and crumble at his feet. All it was going to take was a simple phone call to the metal head upstairs.

To say the least, Roxas couldn't wait until tomorrow...


End file.
